Photographic camera.



No. 724,085 PATENTED MAR. 31, 1903.

G. N. COLLINS. PHOTOGRAPHIO CAMERA.

; APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 18. 1902.

N0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GUY N. COLLINS, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

PHOTOGRAPHIC CAMERA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 724,085, dated March31, 1903.

Application filed $eptember 18, 1902. Serial No. 123,897. (No modeld To(all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUY N. OOLLINs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Photographic Cameras, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to photographic cameras, and my object is toadapt an ordinary portable view-camera for use in photographing in theirnatural size natural-history specimens, such as plants, fruits,vegetables, &c. In the photographing of such specimens for record andfor the illustration of Scientific publications it is found to beextremely difficult to so mount the specimens on vertical surfaces thatthe photographing thereof in natural positions can be readilyaccomplished. It is also very desirable that naturalists in the fieldhave readily-transportable means for making such full-sized photographsof specimens which cannot be long preserved in their natural conditions.So' far as I am aware such photographs have never heretofore been madeexcept in the laboratory or studio and by means of photographicapparatus and object-supports mounted upon unwieldy camera-standsincapable of use by scientific parties in the field.

To overcome these difficulties and at the same time not so modify thecamera as to render it unfit for ordinary view-work, my invention,broadly considered, consists in mounting the frame and lens-axis of aportable view-camera in a vertical position and attaching to one of thehinged drops a support for the object photographed, which support may bereadily adjusted at such distance from the lens as to give a f ull-sizedimage on the sensitive plate.

It also consists in affordinga flexible swinging support for the camerain lieu of'a tripod, by means of which both camera and object may berotated about a vertical axis, so as to secure more uniform lighting.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of theentire camera; Fig.

2, a side view of a portion of the camera frame or box, the tripod-headattached thereto, and a portion of one of the tripod-legs; and Fig. 3 isa perspective front View of the camera and frame, showing the manner ofattaching the remaining tripod-legs when arranging the camera in avertical position.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in all the figures. I

The main camera frame or boxA has its back and front drops orv covers Band B hinged thereto at one of their shorter sides, so as to provideguides b and b of greater length than can be secured in a camera inwhich the guides, focusing-scale, &c., are carried on a drop-coverhinged on one of its longer sides. The bellows, shutter-frame, andswinging back or plate-holder frame are so attached to the box A thatthe focusing may be accomplished by sliding the shutter and lens frameforward upon the guides b for ordinary viewwork or by sliding theplate-holder frame backward upon the more widely separated guides 12 forphotographing objects natural size, thus leaving the guides '1) free forthe attachment of the ground-glass background and supporting-frame D,upon which the specimen 0 to be photographed may be laid when the camerais in the vertical position, as shown in Fig. 1. The slides d d forsupporting the background-frame D move readily upon the undercut guides79 I) (see Fig. 1) and may be adjusted thereon for focusing by a rackand pinion operated by knob b, and when focused may be secured to theguides by any desired form of clampingscrew. (Not shown.) The frame Dmay in turn be detachably secured to the slides cl d by a suitableclamping-screw, as at e, or may be hinged thereto by a shouldered hinge,as at 6', so as to fold'down upon the inner side of the drop B when thecamera is closed for transportation, it being of course understood thatwhichever form of attachment is preferred will be used upon both theslides d.

It is desirable that the focal length of the lens and the length of theguides 17 b be so proportioned that when the shutter-frame is secured incontact with the stops ff, Fig. 3, and the plate-holding frame is movedbackward to or slightly beyond the edge of the back drop B, as shown inFig. 1, the image on the sensitive plate of an object situated a likedistance in front of the lens will be f ullsized. This will ordinarilybe the case when the distance between the optical center of the lens andthe sensitive plate is twice the focal length of the lens. IIaving oncedetermined the relative positions of lens and plate-holder by trial orotherwise it is then only necessary to mark two coinciding points uponguides 12 and plate -holder frame, at which point they may thereafter besecured, and when the object is then brought into focus by adjustingobject-support D the image will be full size.

To afford a firm support for the camera in its vertical position, fourbrackets or lugs Z are secured near the inside upper corners of the boxA, as shown in Fig. 3, to which the upper ends of two of thetripod-legs, previ ously detached from lugs lot the tripod-head, Fig. 2,are secured. The camera may then be tilted to the position shown in Fig.1, the support D attached to the guides 19, and the camera focused forfull-sized photographing or copying.

It is sometimes difficult in laboratories and elsewhere where this formof camera finds frequent use to secure even and adequatelightingfortheobjecttobephotographed. To obviate this difficulty, Isecure to the cameraframe at suitable points rings or other means ofattachment 4*", to which may be secured supporting cords or wires 1".These rings are preferably three in number and attached as shown inFig.1, though I do not wish to limit myself to any specified number orlocation for such suspension devices. Suspension cords or wires, as r,being secured to the rings 1', the tripod-legs may be removed and theupper ends of r secured to a single point of support, leaving the entirecamera, with its self-contained object-support, free to oscillate orrotate about a vertical axis without disturbing the relative positionsof the object and the lens. The camera may then be given a half-turn onits suspension-cords, the shutter opened, and after about one-half ofthe normal exposure has been given the cameraframe may be allowed torotate back to its first position for the remainder of the exposure,thus sufficiently lighting all sides of the object without the use ofreflecting-screens or I other devices.

' The operation of my improved camera is clearly described in theforegoing, but briefly restated it is as follows: For ordinary viewphotography the camera-box is attached to the top of the tripod in theordinary manner with the lens-axis horizontal, the object-support D andits slides d d removed from the guides b b, and the camera then differsfrom ordinary view-cameras only in having the longer dimension of theplate-holdernormally vertical; but even this may be obviated by the useof any of the well-known forms of rotating camera-backs.

To arrange the camera for photographing objects in full size, two of thetripod-legs are detached from the head, attached to the inner lugs Z,the camera tipped to a vertical position, the support D attached bymeans of the long slides d d, and the camera then focused by locking theshutter-frame and plate-holder frame in the positions above mentionedand moving the object-support upon the guides b till the desired focusis obtained. For uniform lighting the tripod is dispensed with entirelyand the suspension devices 1' r r 1" substituted to allow the camera torotate as a whole, as above described.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by letters Patent,is-

1. In a portable view-camera, an objectsupport attached to a hinged dropof the can;- era-frame.

2. In a portable view-camera, a folding object-support attached to ahinged side of the camera-box.

3. In a portable view-camera, a folding and focusing object-supportattached to a hinged side of the camera-box.

4. In a photographic camera, in combination with the main frame,directly-secured lugs for the attachment of tripod-legs, said lugs beingso positioned as to direct the lens= axis vertically.

5. A photographic camera having tripodleg brackets interiorly secureddirectly to the main frame, whereto the tripod-legs may be attached toposition the camera with its lensaxis vertical, substantially asdescribed.

6. In a photographic camera, in combination, a main frame, a drop hingedthereto, guides on said drop, slides adj ustably secured to said guidesand an object-support secured to said slides, substantially asdescribed. 7. In a photographic camera, in combination, a drop hinged tothe main frame, guides secured to said drop, slides adjustably securedto said guides, and an object-support hinged to said slides,substantially as described.

8. In a photographic camera, in combina= tion, a main frame, a drophinged thereto along one of its shorter sides, guides extendingthroughout substantially the entire length of said drop, slidesadjustably and removably secured to said guides and an object-supportsecured to said slides, substantially as described.

9. In a photographic camera, a main frame,- a drop hinged to said frame,an object-support secured to said drop, and flexible suspension devicesfor rotatably supporting said camera-frame and object-supportsimultaneously, in substantially vertical alinement.

10. In a photographic camera, in combination, an object-support securedto said camera, supporting devices secured to the camera-frame, andflexible supports attached to said supporting devices, whereby thecamera and object-support may be rotated about a vertical axis withoutdisturbing their relative positions, substantially as described.

11. In a portable photographic camera, in combination, a plate-holderframe and a focusing object-support located substantially tooequidistant from the optical center of the lens.

12. In a portable photographic camera, in combination, a main body, alens-frame supported thereon, front and rear drops each hinged to saidmain body along one of its shorter sides, guides on the rear drop foradjustably supporting the plate-holder frame, and guides on the frontdrop for adjustably supporting an object-support, substantially 10 asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have-signed my name to this specification in thepresenceof two subscribing witnesses,

, GUY N. COLLINS.

Witnesses;-

W. E. SAFFORD, E. BROWNa

